Longevity conference in Berkeley draws founders and researchers for health testing

On May 14 for the second Vitalist Bay longevity conference. Participants sat under a lawn tent for a mass blood draw organized by Rythm Health, using at-home testing devices that collected samples from the upper arm. Robby Wade, CEO of Rythm Health, explained the heating-pad activation process before the draw. One attendee compared the testing setup to Theranos but noted that it worked.

Conference activities Talks covered cryopreservation and delaying menopause.

Optional sessions included a workshop on longevity therapeutics led by a co-founder of BioAge Labs, a Krav Maga lesson, and a sound bath. Adam Gries, co-founder of the conference and the larger Vitalist movement, asked in opening remarks whether society would continue to accept death as previous generations had.

Christine Peterson, co-founder of the Foresight Institute, said the longevity field is moving from a movement toward an industry. The event space also functions as a rationalist AI discussion hub and featured wicker furniture and rose bushes on its grounds.